FESTIVALS, HOLIDAYS AND OTHER ANNUAL EVENTS IN Barcelona

There are a number of festivals, holidays and other events celebrated in Barcelona each year. The main ones are listed below.

For this tradition held on the eve of Epiphany, a procession of colourfully decorated floats is accompanied by boisterous music, through the streets of Barcelona, distributing sweets to children.

This is an especially important day of the year for Spanish children, since it is on Epiphany (and not Christmas) that they receive their gifts. The holiday is celebrated quietly with family members.

Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday and ends with the Easter Vigil, is an important time in Barcelona. Numerous celebrations and services include huge processions in the narrow streets of the old city before arriving at Barcelona's Gothic cathedral.

Similar to Valentine's Day, the feast day of Catalonia's patron saint sees men and boys offering single red roses to their wives, mothers and girlfriends. The latter offer books in return, in tribute to the great writer Cervantes, who died on this day in 1616. All of the city's main thoroughfares are filled with people, and flower and book stalls are spread out as far as the eye can see.

This annual festival in the old district of Gràcia is the biggest and most spectacular in Barcelona, with live music, dancing, traditional food and drinks, and “castells”, Catalonia's famous and awe-inspiring human towers.

Spain's national day commemorates the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The anniversary is marked with a host of festivities, including street parties and a fireworks display over the Plaça de Catalunya.

CLIMATE AND WEATHER IN Barcelona

Month	Min. Average Temperature (°C/F°)	Max. Average Temperature (°C/F°)	Average Rains (MM)	Best Time to Travel
January	4/39	12/54	41/1.6	Not the best period to go
February	5/41	13/55	29/1.1	Not the best period to go
March	6/43	15/59	41/1.6	Not the best period to go
April	8/46	16/61	49/1.9	Good period to go
May	11/52	20/68	59/2.3	Good period to go
June	15/59	23/73	40/1.5	Good period to go
July	18/64	27/81	29/1.1	Good period to go
August	19/66	27/81	61/2.4	Good period to go
September	16/61	25/77	81/3.2	Good period to go
October	12/54	21/70	91/3.6	Good period to go
November	7/45	16/61	62/2.4	Not the best period to go
December	5/41	13/55	49/1.9	Not the best period to go

Barcelona El Prat International Airport

The Barcelona El Prat International Airport is located about 12 kilometres (8 miles) south-west of the city centre.

• Two terminals:
  • Terminal 1 (Air France)
  • Terminal 2

• By car
  • Accessible via the C-31 and the C-32B motorways.
  • Short- and long-term parking facilities are available in the Terminals T1, T2A, T2B and T2C.
  • Several car rental companies have counters outside baggage claim in Terminal 1 and in the main lobby of Terminal 2B.
• By rail
  • Spanish train RENFE between the airport and the city centre. One train every 30 minutes for a 25-minute ride. A one-way ticket costs EUR 4.60.
• Shuttle
  • Two express bus routes connect both terminals with the city centre. Buses leave every 15 minutes at peak times. The fare is EUR 5.90 each way.
• Bus
  • The bus line 46 connects the airport to the city centre from 5 a.m. to 12:15 a.m. The fare is EUR 2.40 each way.
  • N17 Night bus runs from 9:55 p.m. to 4:45 a.m. The fare is EUR 2.40 each way.
• By taxi
  • There are taxi ranks outside the arrivals hall at each terminal. The trip to the city centre takes about 25 minutes and costs around EUR 35.

• Services: shops, bars and restaurants, free Internet access (Wi-Fi) available in the airport.
• Telephone: +34 902 404 704 / +34 913 211 000
• Website: https://www.aena.es/en/barcelona-airport/index.html

GETTING AROUND Barcelona

Barcelona offers excellent public transport options. The city's Metro system and buses can get you almost anywhere you need to go, and run late into the evening. If your destination is not served by the Metro or buses, taxis are readily available and relatively inexpensive.

Subway

Barcelona's Metro (https://www.tmb.cat/en/home) is easy to use and serves all the city's major landmarks. The trains are also air-conditioned, which is especially nice in the summer. It runs from 5 am to midnight, Monday to Thursday, Sunday and on holidays. On Friday and on the eve of holidays, it runs from 5 am to 2 am, and all night long on Saturday. A one-way ticket costs EUR 2.40.

Useful tips: If you expect to use the system for more than five rides during your stay, the “T-casual” travel card is the best option. It is valid for 10 rides and costs EUR 11.35 (within one zone).

City Pass

By bus

By tram

Barcelona's tram network (https://www.tram.cat/en) combines a total of six lines and 56 stops, and provides easy and fast access to parts of the city underserved by the Metro. The lines extend into several nearby municipalities (L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat, Cornellà de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí...). A single ticket costs EUR 2.40 (including transfers between trams within a time limit of 30 minutes). Books of 10 tickets cost from EUR 11.35 (1 zone) to EUR 47.90 (6 zones), and daily passes range from EUR 10.50 to EUR 28.15 (valid until end of service). Barcelona's trams operate:

• Monday to Thursday from 5 a.m. to midnight
• Friday, Saturday and eves of public holidays from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m.
• Sunday from 5 a.m. to midnight

By taxi

By car

Although the city's road infrastructure is excellent, getting around Barcelona by car is not a good idea. Parking can quickly become a nightmare. It is true that there are many garages in the city, but they are often full or have only a limited number of spaces available.

Visitor information

Upon your arrival in Barcelona, you can get in touch with local tourism professionals for further information and to help organise your stay.

Offers practical information and useful recommendations (accommodation, restaurants, public transport, festivals, cultural events, etc.).

• Address: Plaça de Catalunya
• Telephone: +34 932 853 834
• Website: https://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/

Turisme de Barcelona operates a number of other offices and kiosks throughout the city, offering information and recommendations for visiting Barcelona and its surrounding area. The main addresses for these offices are listed below:

• Plaça Sant Jaume: Plaça Sant Jaume
• Mirador de Colom: Plaça Portal de la Pau s/n
• Cabina Espanya: Plaça d'Espanya / Avenida Maria Cristina
• Cabina Sagrada Família: Plaça de la Sagrada Família

The website maintained by Instituto de Turismo de España (Turespaña), Spain's official destination marketing authority, provides a wealth of information on Barcelona.

Website: https://www.spain.info/en/

Currency and Exchange Rates

Spanish currency is the Euro (EUR).

R$ 1 = € 0,15

€ 1 = R$ 6,67

The above exchange rate is given for information because is variable.

Medical information

There are no vaccination requirements for visitors to Spain.

For more information, contact Air France's international vaccination centre:

• Address: 38 quai de Jemmapes, 75010 Paris
• Website: https://www.vaccinations-airfrance.fr
• Telephone: +33 (0)1 43 17 22 00
• To make a vaccination appointment:
  • online (click here)
  • call the centre at +33 (0)1 43 17 22 00

Tap water is safe to drink in Barcelona.

Administrative formalities

For stays of less than three months, travellers from the Schengen area, as well as those from the countries of the European Union not included in the area, only need to be in possession of a national identity card or a passport valid for the duration of their stay. As a general rule, travellers from all other countries are subject to visa requirements, although foreign nationals from certain countries may enter Spain for up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes. For further information, visit the website of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/en/ServiciosAlCiudadano/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Paginas/Inicio.aspx

Useful addresses

To enjoy peace of mind during your stay in Spain, visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country.

Essential phrases

Good to know

+34

+ phone number

4 : 00
of time difference with
Sao Paulo

Start of daylight saving time> last Sunday in March

End of daylight saving time> last Sunday in October

Banks
Usually open Tuesday to Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Government Offices
Usually open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

230 V / 50 Hz